Policy Text
Field Services Page 1 of 3 07/16 (REV 1/04)
Burglary Calls
The purpose of this order is to o utline the procedure for respo nding to and handling in-
progress burglary calls.
I. Responding To In-P rogress Burglaries
Officers shall:
A. Drive as quickly and safely as possible.
B. Coordinate response and a rrival with other units.
C. If enough units are availabl e, have one unit respond to the street or area
behind the burglary scene.
II. Arrival at the Scene
Officers shall:
A. Advise communications verba lly by radio that the patrol unit has arrived in
the area.
B. Coordinate perimeter position(s).
C. If reported by a witness, mak e contact and obt ain a descript ion and
location of the suspect. Broadcas t this information to other o fficers
responding or at the scene.
D. Consider the use of support units such as the helicopter or Canine Units.
III. Searching
The procedure regarding the s earch shall depend on the amount o f available
officers at the scene and the type of building to be searched. A search of the
inside of a building should no t be undertaken unless adequate m anpower is
available.
Field Services Page 2 of 3 07/16 (REV 1/04) A. Set up a perimeter.
1. An officer not actively invo lved in the search should take
responsibility for calling and coor dinating the perimeter and e nsure
communications is aware of perim eter locations for all officers
involved.
B. If available, use a canine uni t to check the interior of the building. An
officer should always be assigned as a cover officer to search with the
canine unit.
C. Attempt to keep at least one ot her officer in visual sight a t all times.
Coordinate movements and areas to be checked.
D. If the helicopter is availabl e, it should check the roof whi le ground units
check the outside of the buildi ng for entry. It should also ch eck the
surrounding areas and should consi der using the FLIR, if approp riate.
E. Business locations:
1. Attempt to contact business owner/manager for interior infor mation.
2. Contact the alarm company for additional information from mo nitory
system, if there is one.
F. Residential locations:
1. Attempt to contact the homeowne r, caretaker or neighbor for
interior information.
2. Contact the alarm company, if any, for an alternate contact person
if the homeowner is away.
IV. Follow-Up
A. If the suspect(s) have alr eady left the scene, the officers should:
1. If not already done, request that Communications contact the
building owner or responsible person and have them respond to t he
scene.
2. Preserve the crime scene and contact CSI when necessary.
3. Conduct an investigation of the scene.
4. Contact any witnesses for st atements and additional informat ion.
Field Services Page 3 of 3 07/16 (REV 1/04) 5. Determine if any other crime (s) occurred during the course o f the
burglary.
6. Complete all the nec essary crime reports.
B. If the suspect(s) are loc ated, the officers should:
1. Separate suspects, if there are more than one.
2. Determine if the suspect(s) wish to make a statement. If th ey do
want to make a statement:
a. Contact the on-call bur glary detective or detective supervis or
and/or
b. Mirandize the suspect and take the statement
3. Determine the location of any property already removed from the
premises by the suspect(s) and secure it.